Warfare has lasted since ancient times,
Rise and fall depend on the emperor's might.
Han's rituals shone with brilliant light,
How rampant were the Hu horses in their flights.
A veteran general once broke the rule,
The peaceful border turned into a battlefield cruel.
Monarch and minister endured flaws and stains,
Rivers and mountains stood empty, strongholds in vain.
Heavy garrisons acted like separatist regimes,
Light authority severed laws and schemes.
Military and civil rule differed in style,
Leniency or severity depended on the trial.
Alas, those men of bitter integrity,
Square pegs in round holes, by nature, they be.
Widows followed to serve in the commandery,
The crippled found safety behind walls, stationary.
Grieving for the state's foundation, worn and thin,
Compassion preserves the way things have always been.
Banners and commands were not his to bear,
Storehouses were over-guarded with care.
Forgiving myself, I alone remain here,
Many worries increase the inner wound severe.
Subordinate officers limited to wine and meat,
Common soldiers clad in thin clothes, incomplete.
The arch-villain confused right and wrong,
Gathering plots, the broad road to peace was gone.
Blood finally flowed beneath the tent,
Great calamity upon Hunan was sent.
Fierce fire broke out in the midnight deep,
High smoke scorched the heavens, a memory to keep.
To this day, distributing grain and silk,
The aura of slaughter blows through Yuan and Xiang's ilk.
Fortune and virtue, logic overturned,
Heaven's clear signs vast and unconfirmed.
Souls shattered, dodging flying arrows' might,
Feet calloused, piercing through wolves in the night.
Enduring hidden thorns of bitter strife,
Delaying till blisters mar the path of life.
From afar, my son returns to wait by my side,
A nursing daughter also stays beside.
Long a stranger, lucky to escape death's hand,
In twilight years, ashamed of fervor I stand.
Desolate, facing waters and lands so bare,
Submerged, following fishmongers with care.
To repay my lord, my body now old,
To enter court, illness hinders, truth be told.
Vast, I entrust to shallow customs' flow,
Gloomy, my steadfast heart twists to and fro.
Crisscrossing, I walk on isles and shores,
Leisurely turning through woods and bamboo doors.
A single sail to Chen's left bank I guide,
Through outer walls, before Hengyang I reside.
Ornamental pillars, clouds and birds on the wall,
Famous gardens where fragrant flowers enthrall.
Flag towers strengthen the town's grand array,
Watchtowers and beacon coils the city's moat way.
Among them, an ancient governor of fame,
With talent supreme, his reputation became.
To support the falling, pillars and stones await,
Sitting alone, wind and frost accelerate.
Recently, we talked of jade trees, fine and rare,
High conversation followed the wine cup's share.
Not to speak of deep affection once more,
Already settled in this turmoil's core.
Ju Meng, feared by seven states in his day,
Ma Qing, whose four fu essays led the way.
At the gate, Su Sheng's presence alive,
Bai Qi's courage and sharpness would thrive.
Inquiring of crimes, rich in strategic view,
Songs of triumph hang, judging false and true.
Dust and mist are vowed to be swept clean,
How can gnats and midges block the scene?
Orange Well, an old estate's domain,
Fairy mountains guide the boat's track again.
This journey tires of summer's rainy spell,
Its land is known for coolness, stories tell.
Maternal uncles wield tallies near,
Opening letters, their writings shine clear.
Frequent summons repeatedly sent,
Open and upright, a hundred lines' intent.
Jiang Zong, raised in an external family's hold,
Xie An, in joyful moods, his story told.
Downstream, no pearls or jades are mine,
Choosing a perch, ashamed of phoenixes fine.
My teacher, Ji Shuye, I hold dear,
The world's worthy, Zhang Zifang, is here.
Thatched cottage, a land of joy I send,
On the roc's path, watch it soar and ascend.